The Model Train Depot Blog

On my trip back East I was lucky enough to visit the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and Conference Center. While there I got to visit the Chattanooga Southern Railway which happens to be the South’s largest model railroad display. This display was first build in 1973 as a joint venture between the Chattanooga Area Model Railroad Club and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and Conference Center.

The model railraod is buildt in HO scale , which is 1:87 scale; or in other words, if you took 87 model boxcars and hooked them together, the total length would be the same length as a real boxcar.

The model railraod is 174 feet long and 33 feet at its widest point. It has over 3000 feet of track with up to eight trains running constantly on separate loops. It has over 500 buildings, 300 automobiles and trucks, and at least 2000 figures modeled. To make the layout come alive, there are thousands of lights and dozens of animated features. To keep the trains running, the club has to maintain over 150 locomotives and over 1000 freight and passenger cars. This layout is billed as one of the largest and most complete model railroad displays in the world.

It is one heck of a layout, and I was able to get some nice pictures. I will try to put of few up here and also get a few up on Flickr. If you travel to the area I highly recommend stopping by to take a look, you won’t be disappointed.

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Hey all, I’m back from vacation and I saw some interesting sites. While back East I got to visit the The Chattanooga Choo Choo , and I also took a tour of the Huntsville Depot & Museum . It was a great experience, and I learned a lot of history! Furthermore, for all you HO-Scale Modelers ,
Both of the sites have great HO-Scale model railroad displays. In my next post I will give you a run down of both places and also where to ride the rails in the Tennessee Valley.

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New for May 2008, Athearn Trains has an Alco RS-3 Phase I diesel locomotive. It is available in road names, Canadian National, Central of Georgia, CP Rail, Main Central, Norfolk & Western, Southern (two numbers per road name) and they come undecorated. They have road-specific stack and pilot variations, McHenry knuckle couplers, and eight-pin Digital Command Control decoder socket. Price will be apprx. $89.98

Athearn Trains also has released a Elctro-Motive Division F7 A and B diesel locomotives. Road names available are: Denver & Rio Grande Western and Pen Central (ex-D&RGW). it comes with Direct current or Digital Command Control with sound (includes remote for sound in DC mode). Five-pole, skew-wound motor with flywheels, road-specific details, and working headlights and Mars lights. Prices are A unit (D&RGW only): $209.98 with sound, and $139.98 without. A and B units (two sets per road name): $419.98 with sound, $279.98 without.

Wm. K. Walthers, Inc has an Alco RSC-2 diesel locomotive available. The new road names are Seaboard Coast Line, Milwaukee Road, Soo Line, and Union Pacific. It has five-pole skew-wound motor, die-cast metal chassis, and magnetic knuckle couplers. Direct-current model goes for $94.98.

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I’m sure a lot of you know this alread, but Wm. K. Walthers Inc. and Marklin announce that Walthers is now the exclusive distributor of Marklin products in North America.

All warehousing, sales, and administrative functions for products of Marklin and its subsidiary label, Trix, are now being handled by Walthers , according to a joint announcement form the two companies. Marklin will transfer its inventory from its New Berlin, Wisconson warehouse to Walthers’ Milwaukee, Wisconson, warehouse this spring. Marklin will continue to handle warranty work until the inventory transfer is complete.

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MTH Electric Trains has announced that it will offer a model of one of the world’s most famous locomotives, the Flying Scotsman 4-6-2 Pacific of the London & North Eastern Ry. The locomotive toured the United States and Australia, and it is currently on display at the United Kingdom’s National Railway Museum. The model will come in several paint schemes and with a corridor tender. A second, water-only tender will be available as a separate-sale item. The price has not been released yet.

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Atlas Model Railroad Companyis offering new paint schemes and road numbers for its popular EMD GP60/60/MB locomotive models. These include a standard cab GP60 decorated for the Union Pacific and a GP60B and a GP60M in the BNSF “swoosh” scheme. New cab numbers include Norfolk Southern, Santa Fe, and Union Pacific road names. Powered units cost approx. $499.95, and unpowered units are aprox. 239.95.

The new paint schemes for the PS-4427 low side hopper include Agway, Beacon Feeds, and Cargill. The Lehigh Valley and Rio Grande models come with new road numbers. The cars cost $62.95 each. The steam-era 40-foot USRA composite gondola is offered undecorated and in new road numbers for New York Central, Pennsylvania RR, and Southern Pacific; new paint schemes are Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis. The gondolas cost $57.95 each.

Passenger cars return to the Atlas O lineupwith Comet II commuter and Horizon passenger car sets. Horizon coaches and dinettes come undecorated and in Amtrak Phase IV or V; and the Comet II coaches and cab cars come undecorated and in Connecticut DOT, Metro-North, or NJ Transit road names.

Also, Atlas O’sfirst scale steam locomotive is now available. The firm’s USRA 0-6-0 features O-36 operation, die-cast metal construction, railroad specific details such as light, bell, whistle placement and tender style, a can-style motor, Lionel trainMaster and RailSounds system, coil coupler, and smoke unit. the model is available painted but unlettered and in Burlington, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Pennsylvania RR, and Union Pacific road names for approx. $649.

Happy Railroading!

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Hey all,

This post is for any railfans or hobbyist in the Southern California area. The Fullerton Railway Plaza Association is having their Fullerton Railroad Days this weekend at the Fullerton train station on the corner of Pamona Ave. and Santa Fe St., in Fullerton. They are celebrating their 10th anniversary and sounds like it’s going to be a blast.

The San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society’s SantaFe Steam Engine #3751 will be there too along with a BNSF diesel locomotive, Santa Fe Caboose, Santa Fe Lounge Car (1941) #1389, Southern Pacific Caboose and more. There will also be over 12 model railroad exhibits hosted by several model railroad clubs in the area.

Should be a great chance to see some trains, model railroads and to get some great pictures. I’m planning on getting down their either later today or tomorrow. I will post some pictures of the day when I get back.

See you there!

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Back in 1999/2000 Classic Toy Trains, conducted a survey and according to their survey the “typical” toy train hobbyist is:

*A 52-year-old married man with children.  He enjoys toy trains in his childhood and became involved with them again about 20 years ago.  He shares his interest with at least one relative or friend.

*He is enthusiastic about the hobby.  He reads related books and magazines and may even use his computer to help him enjoy it.  His interest has not diminished in the past year; in fact, it may have grown.

*His major focus is on the Lionel O gauge trains manufactured between 1945 and the present.  He considers himself to be both a collector and an operator of those trains.

*His home layout contains approximately 213 square feet and is either of traditional design or combines traditional and hi-rail elements.

*His anual income is approximately $73,500, and he spends about $1,500 on toy trains and realted merchandise.

Now, I realize this survey is about dated, and I’m willing to guess that the average age has come down a bit, that more women are into the hobby now, and that maybe the income might be a little lower; however, I am sure the interest in the Lionel O gauge trains is still the same!

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